Friendship
by Foxxy Jones
Summary: A good friendship will last forever. One should never let their friends go without saying what they need to.
1. Goodbye

**A/N: This story is extremely graphic and was written to practice the writing of insanity. If you are sensitive or easily frightened, I advise you to turn around now. I already traumatized one of my readers and feel bad about it. DX**

0-0-0

It was a warm morning, bright and sunny. The ground and air smelled lightly of the recent rain and the entire village of Konoha felt gratefully cleansed. The training grounds smelled particularly fresh, the earthy scent of new grass and damp dirt filling the spacious enclosure. Somewhere far off, rainwater was still dripping off a fallen tree.

Overall, it was the perfect place to meditate.

Neji had been there most of the morning, seeking his own peace and inner strength. He had not trained there with his teammates in a while. Their schedules had been hectic since their promotion to chunin and Neji had lacked any real time to spend with them, what being a jounin and all. Still, being in their old training grounds- as if he were waiting on their arrival like he used to- was comforting.

Neji's eyes opened silently and he glanced around briefly, falling out of his trance-like state. He looked up at the sky for the time. Lee was expecting him for tea. With Tenten out of the country and most of his other friends out on various missions, Lee was lonely and wanted to hang out. It was a small comfort, but one that Neji would likely end up enjoying so long as Lee did not insist on karaoke or races or other contests.

So Neji stood up and brushed the grass off his pants. He stretched just a little before walking off towards Lee's apartment. The streets were bustling and busy, as vendors and shopkeepers and eager shoppers found their way through the noisy city. It was nice to see the city comfortable again, what with all the recent attacks on the village. Neji was certainly happy for it. Once people stopped panicking, the Daimyo stopped panicking and that meant less dangerous and unnecessary 'peace-keeping' missions for him and his comrades.

Neji arrived in a timely fashion, knocking on Lee's door even though he had been given the key years ago.

The door practically exploded open and Lee burst into the doorway, shouting, "Neji! You are here! God, I am so happy you could make it!"

The scent of freshly baked cake wafted out from behind him and Neji was glad he had arrived when he did. He gave Lee a fleeting smile. "Morning, Lee."

"Come in! It has been too long, Neji. I made your favorite."

Neji took off his shoes and set them beside the door. He closed it quietly behind him and entered the cozy apartment. Lee's apartment was poorly coordinated, half-gym and half-treasures. What could not be used to better his physique was a keepsake or memorable item he had received as a gift or purchased on a mission. Neji could pick out and name the city almost every souvenir came from and remembered purchasing many of them from recent missions. Neji settled down on a well-loved couch, in his usual spot.

Lee burst out of the kitchen balancing tiny iced cakes on a tray in one hand and a tea pot and two cups on the other. "So! How have you been?"

Neji leaned out and caught one of the cups as Lee dropped it. He set it on the table and relieved Lee of the tray. "Fine. A few rough missions, but nothing too bad."

Lee cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh? Tell me about them."

Neji shook his head. "They were not extraordinary."

Lee poured tea into the glasses and a few drops splashed out. "So? I still like to hear about them."

Neji rolled his eyes and took up his glass. "You're ridiculous, Lee."

"Am not. I like to know about your adventures!" Lee picked up the tray and offered it to Neji. "Cake?"

Neji chose a light yellow one with a small purple dot in the middle. "Still using Ino's recipe?"

"No, just the decorations. They are cute, huh?"

"If you're into that," Neji took a gentle bite of the tiny cake, careful of crumbs and chewed appreciatively. Lee was an excellent cook. "How much salt did you put in these?"

Lee frowned. "Are they salty?"

"A little, but it isn't detrimental," Neji stated teasingly, finishing off the small treat.

Lee held the tray out again. "Another?"

Neji shook his head. "How was your mission?"

Lee rolled his eyes with a huff. "Ugh, do not even get me started. It was in Suna, right? I get all the way there and do you know what happens? They made a mistake! They were supposed to send me to Iwagakure! How do you even mix those two up?"

Neji chuckled lightly. "Good exercise."

"I know, but it would not have been worth it if I did not get a chance to see Gaara-kun again. He is such a good person-"

Neji listened to Lee talk about his crazy mission silently, relaxing into the warm and comfortable couch. He felt tired, which was strange considering he had woken up mere hours ago. As Lee's voice droned on and on and his hands flickered around in exaggeration, Neji closed his eyes. Eventually, Lee's voice faded out completely.

At first, he did not feel anything. He did not see anything. He blinked drowsily, wondering how long ago he had fallen asleep. Everything was a little blurry, like he had been asleep for awhile. His head was spinning. He shook his head a little and tried to stretch, only to find that his arms would not move. Confused, he pulled lightly and found that neither his arms nor legs would move. He blinked rapidly, dissolving the darkness around him into a blurry mess and eventually everything focused in. He turned his head just slightly and saw that his arms were held fast to some sort of wooden table by heavy leather straps. He pulled harder, trying to twist out, but a glance down his body showed several more that effectively glued him to the wooden surface.

What was this?

"Neji!"

Lee suddenly burst into his sight. He was smiling widely. "Thank goodness. I thought you were never going to wake up."

Neji shook his head. "Wh-what? Lee, what's going on? Where the hell is this?"

"My house. Spare room. Right next to the bedroom, across the hall from the bathroom," Lee chuckled a little. "I did some remodeling since the last time you were here, obviously..."

Neji pulled again at the straps. "This isn't funny. Why can't I move?"

Lee frowned. "Because you are tied down, Neji. Maybe I really did overdo it. I know you are sensitive to Sakura's sleeping potions, but still. It should not have made you that delirious."

"But _why?_" Neji asked, pulling harder and looking around. Besides the wooden table and the straps, there was nothing else in the pitch black room. Yet something reeked of formaldehyde and there was a creeping sensation in his stomach that he just could not fight. He could feel the sweat cooling on his forehead, on his joints, at the tips of his fingers. He turned sharply to Lee. "Let me go."

Lee shrugged apologetically and disappeared into the darkness, stating, "Sorry, Neji. If I let you go, you will leave."

Neji shouted after him. "Of course I'm going to leave! This isn't funny!"

"It is not supposed to be," Lee replied as he returned to Neji's side, pushing a standard metal cart covered with a blue towel. He glanced at Neji and noticed the man shaking in his bonds. "Neji? Are you nervous? It is probably because it is so dark in here. Here, I will turn on the lights."

Lee disappeared again and suddenly white light exploded from the ceiling. Neji's eyes snapped shut, but it hit his brain like a bolt of lightning and his eyes watered. He struggled to open them again, blinking blindly into the light.

A shadow fell over his eyes as Lee cupped a hand over them. Lee grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. There is only two settings: off and on."

Neji blinked until his eyes no longer watered and Lee carefully removed his hand. Neji immediately wished he had not.

Lee had redone the entire room in white- or what had used to be white. Dark red, black and brown were smeared across the pure surfaces, flaking in places from age. Tables were lined up, filled with pans and instruments. Directly across from him, there was a cork board with several pictures on it. He recognized all of them. Individual pictures of their friends, smiling and laughing from a get together they had planned only a few months before. Neji spotted three pictures smeared with flaking red, so much that he could not see the faces behind them.

"Like it? I had to make things easier to clean up, though you can tell I have been a little... er... lax about it," Lee shrugged, but gave Neji a friendly wink. "Do not worry, though! I will run at least two- no, four!- hundred laps to make up for it, alright? That is a promise!"

Neji stared at him in horror. "L-lee... y-you can't do this to me. I-! I'm your friend!"

Lee rolled his eyes. "Neji, that is _why_ I am doing this. You will see!"

Neji gritted his teeth, yanking violently on the straps. "People will notice I'm gone!"

"They will not," Lee chided lightly, waving his hand. "This is a village full of shinobi. They will assume you went out on a mission and never came back. This is how it is."

This was horrible. Neji threw himself against the straps, willing them to loosen. He could not think of anything else to do as panic began to set in.

"Oh, Neji, do not get upset. You are not the only one," Lee grabbed the table with both hands and pulled it around to face the opposite wall.

Neji had never screamed like he did then.

Hanging from the wall by his neck was the bloody, gutted corpse of Shikamaru Nara. His skin was pale and lifeless. Gashes ran the length of his body and the flesh inside was dry and brown. His entire chest had been cut open and from the gaping hole, Neji could see the man's spine. Below him was the vat in which the man's blood still sat, coagulating into a solid mass.

Lee set his hands on Neji's shoulders. "See? I got him last month. It was not easy, either. He was awful clever."

The man grabbed the table and pulled it back around to its original position. "Now, we can get started."

Neji shook his head, the image of his mutilated friend forever burned into his mind. "L-lee... Lee, please. Don't do this. I... I am your _friend._ We've been teammates for years!"

"I know," Lee reached out and took Neji's hand, lacing their fingers together. "That is why this is so important."

Neji's eyes jerked, watching Lee gently wrap his fingers around his hand. The almost tender touch made his stomach twist and a cold sweat break out on his face. "Lee, wh-"

"You have always had pretty hands, Neji."

Lee suddenly squeezed and every fragile bone in Neji's hand snapped. Neji cried out in shock. He could feel the sharp bones twisting and stabbing into his skin, breaking skin and dribbling blood down his wrist. He saw white and could not catch his breath.

Then Lee twisted his hand and shattered Neji's wrist. He spoke over Neji's cry of pain, stating, "One down."

Through tears of agony, Neji saw Lee reach for his other hand. He clenched it shut, twisting it away from him. He gritted his teeth as Lee grabbed it anyway and squeezed tightly. Neji's cry came through gritted teeth as his fingers cracked and joints broke. Lee yanked his wrist sideways and snapped it in three places.

Neji felt the hazy feeling of unconsciousness. His eyes grew blurry and his head swam. Dazed, he looked over to see the bones jutting from the back of his hands. All his techniques were in those hands. They would never recover from such damage. He would never release another strike in his life, never create a single new technique, never touch again. He felt sick, his stomach twisting violently.

"Are you alright, Neji? You look like you are about to throw up."

From the haze of pain, Neji glared at Lee. "W-why do I have to be alive for this?" Neji panted, his voice strained from the pain. "Why can't you just kill me?"

"Because," Lee pouted, leaving Neji's side. He went and grabbed a metal box, bringing it back and laying it on the cart. He lifted the lid off it to check on the contents. "It is a lonely process. It is not like I have an assistant or anything."

Seeing his chance, Neji forced a smile. "I-I could do it."

Lee looked at him with a smile. "Nice try. Why would you help me kill you?"

Neji's eyes flickered to the metal box and he spotted dozens of red hot stones. His stomach dropped again. He spoke faster. "I could help you with the others!"

Lee shook his head, grabbing a pair of tongs. He used them to remove a single, glowing needle. "That is silly. You will be dead by then!"

Neji watched nervously as Lee reached up and examined his hands. "Well... you do not really have joints anymore, Neji. I guess I will skip it."

Neji was about to sigh in relief when he saw Lee pick up a small hammer from the cart. "L-Lee, what are you doing...?"

"Skipping straight to the other joints," Lee stated lightly, placing the needle at the inside of Neji's elbow. The hot metal burned and the stench of burning skin immediately filled the room.

Neji jerked against his bonds. "L-lee! Lee, no-!"

Lee slammed the hammer into the needle with enough force to drive it completely through the joint and out the other side.

Neji screamed in agony, the burning penetrating straight through his flesh and into his very bones. The white-hot pain was so intense. He could have crushed his hands a million times rather than feel this. It was unreal! The blur of pain was interrupted only by another burning sensation, the scorching heat of a second needle placed at his elbow. His eyes grew wide in horror. "No! Lee, _no-!"_

With a crack like the snapping of a branch, Lee drove the needle through and severed the joint. He did not wait around for the pain to register. He simply grabbed Neji's forearm and yanked sharply, completely separating Neji's elbow. The rush of pain was like a dam breaking, like a tidal wave hitting every inch of Neji's body. He was not sure if he screamed or not. His entire field of vision went blank, like a smeared painting. His head swam. He could hear his heart beat slamming in his ears. It sounded no different than the pounding and snapping of his joints-

"Neji...? Neji...? Can you hear me...?"

Something hit Neji in the face, snapping him out his daze. He jerked his head, blinking rapidly in the bright lights. Through blurry eyes, he could see the needles in both his arms. He shuddered, the shiver going completely down his body. The pain was so intense...

Lee frowned at him. "You are not going to last very long if you keep doing that."

Neji stared at him dazedly, panting heavily.

Lee gave him an understanding smile, reaching up and brushing the hair out of his friend's eyes. "We have a lot to get done."

Neji did not have the strength or the words to respond with. He felt Lee run his hand back through his hair, playing lightly with the soft strands. He shuddered and the pain ignited over his body.

"Aw, Neji. You still do it!" Lee chuckled, reaching back to pull Neji's hair over his shoulder. He ran his fingers down it teasingly. "I remember Tenten used to do this to you all the time, just to watch you shiver! You were always so embarrassed!"

Lee's hand slowed down and he smiled lightly. He gently combed his fingers through his friend's hair in silence.

Neji panted quietly, feeling the odd sensation running through his scalp. Somehow, it was calming, the feeling of someone running their fingers through his hair, like someone really cared for him. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the dull pain still burning in his arms.

"Well, we are wasting time, Neji," Lee said suddenly, letting go. He tossed Neji's long hair back over his shoulder and straightened up. "Back to business!"

Lee reached behind Neji's head and undid his forehead protector. He teasingly let it fall over his eyes. "Lights off-"

He pulled the metal away, laughing, "-Lights on!"

Neji did not laugh. It was not funny.

"Serious as ever, huh, Neji? I am trying to make this enjoyable," Lee stated lightly, running his thumb over Neji's forehead. "Though, I will admit that I have been curious as to what would happen if I tampered with this. Always have, actually."

Neji's stomach twisted and dropped. "L-lee, you can't be serious..."

"You sound tired, Neji," Lee stated, picking up a thin Exacto knife from the cart. He examined the edge before turning back to Neji. He smiled. "I hope you are expecting a second wind."

Lee approached him, holding the knife deftly and placing it between his friend's eyes.

Neji panicked and jerked his head away. He felt the blade cut the bridge of his nose, but he did not care. Anything, anything but-!

Lee frowned and pushed Neji's head back. "Neji, if you move, I am going to miss."

As the man brandished the knife again, Neji began violently shaking his head. "No! You can't do this! I won't let you!"

Lee gave his friend a concerned, confused look.

Then, Lee's hand snapped viciously over Neji's mouth, seizing him and slamming his head back against the table. Neji did not even time to close his mouth and he felt his teeth snap shut on his bottom lip. He tasted the metallic flavor of blood as Lee forced his head still.

"You are not acting like yourself, Neji," Lee chided lightly, pressing harder against Neji's face. "This is delicate work."

Lee placed the knife just above Neji's eyebrows, on the very edges of the acid green seal. The cold steel turned to fire as Lee slid the knife across Neji's skin. Blood seeped from the thin cut, dripping down Neji's face.

Neji tried to yell, to cry out, to scream, but the blood just gurgled in his mouth, bubbling at his lips and through Lee's fingers. He could feel it running down his neck. He twisted, but his arms would not move. His face could not move. His toes curled and his legs spasmed, but he could not do anything as the fire ignited in his forehead.

Lee set down the knife beside him. His stained fingers came up and touched the very edge of the round cut. "You are probably going to have a headache after this one."

Somehow, Neji could hear his own screaming regardless of how tightly Lee held his mouth. The sound was like ripping fabric and the agony was like no other. He could feel the tug and release as the skin was separated from the muscle, as his skin turned from white to red. He could not breathe, gasping desperately against Lee's hand. Lee was relentless, pulling until the skin met the other cut and tore away.

Lee let him go. Immediately, Neji's entire body heaved in a violent coughing fit. Blood spurted from his mouth, but he could not breathe. Every breath forced more blood into his lungs, but he could not stop it. His eyes burned, his vision went red and his entire world became the burning agony in his head.

He felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest and a rush of temporary relief hit him. It was just a few seconds, but his eyes snapped back open. They burned, but he could hear Lee talking somewhere far away.

"... forgot how... head wounds bleed... do not worry... got this..."

Neji felt something soft rubbing against his eyes, wiping the blood away. He blinked rapidly, clearing his vision. His head was swimming, but he looked around and his eyes landed on Lee.

Lee had a bloody washcloth in his hand and was smiling pleasantly. "Good. You are awake. I thought I had lost you there for a minute."

The pain was rushing back, as whatever Lee had hit him with faded. Neji could feel the trembling return to his limbs, violently jolting his injuries.

"Trust me, Neji. I did not mean to blind you for a minute. If I had, I would have just taken your eyes out."

Neji jerked violently, like someone had punched him in the stomach.

Lee held up his hand defensively. "But I will not! I like your eyes! I always have! Besides. It is not going to be much fun for you if you cannot see what I am doing, right?"

Neji watched as Lee took a long knife- like a kitchen knife- off the cart. He struggled weakly as Lee grabbed the front of his shirt and jabbed the knife through the bloody fabric. With a sick ripping sound, Lee cut the length of Neji's shirt and down his sleeves. He pulled the tattered remains off with a light tug, jarring the broken joints and making Neji groan with pain.

"Sorry," Lee stated, tossing the shirt aside. He set the knife back on the table, replacing it with his small Exacto knife. He pulled up a chair and sat down. He gently set his left hand against Neji's chest, feeling it heaving beneath his touch. His hand was warm against Neji's sweat-drenched skin.

"You know, Neji, I remember when you got this," Lee stated, running his fingers over the twisted scar in Neji's shoulder. "We all thought you were going to die. We were terrified, actually. It really made me think about the things I had not said to you and the last things I had told you before you left the village. I think I was complaining about not getting to go! How depressing is that?"

Neji swallowed dryly. His throat hurt. His teeth hurt. Everything hurt.

Lee frowned. "I remember the last thing Gai-sensei said to me. 'See you when I get back', he said. 'Keep practicing that new taijutsu', he said. Nothing really special at all."

Neji's heart jumped as Lee placed the knife at his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, trying to pull away, but Lee seemed to have second thoughts and pulled the blade away.

Lee's mouth twisted and he traced his hand down to the scar on Neji's stomach. "Then he never came back. I guess that was when I realized that you have to say goodbyes properly, just in case it is the last thing you ever say to them."

Lee looked up at Neji with a smile. "What was the last thing you said to Shikamaru, Neji?"

Neji stared at him. He could feel his heart breaking. The last time he had seen Shikamaru had been right before a big mission. It had only been in passing, just a 'good morning' and nothing else.

"Neji? What did you say to him?"

"G-good morning..."

"That was it?"

"Yes..."

Lee frowned sadly. "What about Tenten? What was the last thing you said to her?"

Neji's heart broke. He remembered seeing Tenten a few weeks ago, seeing her off on an mission out of the country, the mission she was currently on. She had been touchy, angry because she had been stuck with the mission at the last minute. Neji had not minded, wishing her luck and sending her off warmly.

"I... I told her good luck... and that I... I'd see her..."

Lee smiled. "Aw... did you tell her you love her?"

Neji averted his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "N-no... I... she... I hugged her... she's my friend..."

"Aw..."

Neji turned sharply to Lee, feeling something he had not felt in a long time: absolute hatred.

Lee smiled and removed his hand from Neji's stomach. "At least you said something nice to her. She is one of our best friends. That is why I am doing this, you know."

"Wh-what...?"

"Killing you. I want to make sure I get to say goodbye. I mean, if I do not kill you, someone else is going to and I might not get the chance to say anything! I mean... I said 'Yes, sir!' and 'Of course!' when Gai-sensei left. Those were my last words to him. Last words!"

Lee grinned and tapped Neji on the nose with his Exacto knife. "But, not with you! I am going to get to say goodbye to you."

Neji fell weakly against his bonds. "Then why don't you?"

Lee drew back. "Hm?"

"Say goodbye... Why... why are you drawing this out?"

Lee frowned and spun his knife idly. "You are my friend, Neji. I am going to miss you."

"If..." Neji grimaced, the pain radiating from his arms, from his head. "If you were my friend... you wouldn't hurt me... anymore than you already have."

"Hm... I guess you are right," Lee spun and caught his knife deftly. "Alright. For you! I will wrap this up."

Without even using it, Lee tossed the knife onto the cart and grabbed a large syringe. He took Neji's chin in his hand and turned his head, jabbing the needle into his spine. "This should take away the pain. In a minute, you should not be able to feel anything from the neck down. That way, you can watch!"

As a numb, electric feeling began spreading through his body, Neji felt tears welling up in his eyes. "L-lee?"

"Yes, Neji?"

"I... I want to go home..."

Lee smiled sadly and gently took Neji's face in his hands. "I know. It will not take long. All I have to do is empty your body. That is it. Promise."

The feeling of absolute terror rushed over Neji. His mind raced. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go back to the Hyuuga manor and sleep. He wanted to go eat lunch, drink a glass of tea and meditate. He wanted to go and see Tenten home from her mission, hear her voice like it was supposed to be: happy and perky, not bitter at a badly timed mission. God, he just wanted to see his friend again...

The numbness had gone almost completely to his toes when he managed to gasp, "L-lee?"

"Huh?"

"P-promise... promise you won't... w-won't do this to her..."

Lee leaned in closer, looking concerned. "To her?"

"T-Tenten... don't kill her..."

Lee frowned. "Now, Neji. You are being selfish. She is my friend, too! If I do not-!"

"Lee... _I'm_ your friend."

Lee frowned deeply. It was true. Neji was one of his closest, most dear friends. This was his last promise. Lee had never denied him a promise before. Now was not the time to start. Lee sighed. "For you, Neji. I promise."

To reinforce it, Lee went over to the corkboard and found the picture of Tenten. He untacked it, coming over and showing it to Neji. She was smiling and winking, cheerful as ever. She had a pair of chopsticks in either hand, both filled with slices of marinated beef. She had been having a wonderful time.

Lee tucked the picture in Neji's pocket. "There. Now, it is like we are all together. Right?"

Neji could not feel a thing. He just nodded absently.

"Right. Let us finish this then."

Lee took up his Exacto knife and drove it just under Neji's ribcage. The feeling was strange, a tug and pull, but no pain. Even as blood bubbled and spurted at the sliced skin, Neji could watch without the sickening feel of separating skin. Lee made a second cut at Neji's hips, just above his groin and going all the way across. With a long draw of the knife, he connected the two cuts in a macabre letter I. Neji almost heard the moist sound of flesh separating, almost saw the bright red interior of his own body. It was all kind of blurring together now, even as Lee punctured his abdominal sac and began removing organs.

Neji had always thought that death would be a little more frightening, that it would come at him suddenly like an attacking beast and render his very soul with terror. Yet he found it relaxing, the knowledge that he knew his time was coming and that soon all of this would seem like a vague memory, just a dream.

_ "... goodbye, Neji-kun... I will always remember you..."_

….

Well, that was it then.

No more Neji.

Lee sighed softly, sitting down across from his friend's body and watching the blood slowly drain from the empty cavities. He knew those last few seconds must have been hell, when the seal had activated and destroyed Neji's Byakugan for good. It was sad, but at least Neji had gone with a friend. That was more than so many shinobi could say. More than Gai-sensei could say. Neji had not been alone in his death. That was what mattered.

Lee glanced over his shoulder, at the corkboard where pictures of all his friends were hung. There were so many left. He could only hope he got to them in time, before they died alone without knowing all he wanted to say to them. His eyes landed on Neji's photo. Neji's soft smile was covered in fresh blood, the X across his face dripping gently down the glossy finish and landing on the brown board. He smiled softly.

At least he got to Neji.


	2. Wishes

"Tenten! Tenten!"

Tenten looked over her shoulder and smiled widely. "Lee!"

Lee rushed up to his teammate, grabbing her around the waist and giving her a spin. He squeezed her waist, laughing, "How was the mission? Are you alright?"

Tenten laughed loudly, batting at Lee's hands. "I'm fine, the mission was fine. It was boring!"

Lee set her back down on her feet, pushing her good-naturedly. "Boring? You went to the Land of Stone and call it boring?"

"Totally. No action whatsoever. I packed up my scroll and everything and nothing happens."

Lee cocked a curious eyebrow. "Nothing."

Tenten shoved her fists into her hips. "Absolutely nothing."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that! Everything was a success, though?"

"Yes, yes! Everything turned out okay! Jeez. It was a routine mission. You act like I was going blindly into a war zone." Tenten smiled and looked around. "Hey, is Neji still out on a mission? I haven't seen him since I got back."

Lee frowned. "I am not sure. Tsunade-sama said that he was due back a week ago, but I have not seen him. I hate to assume the worst, though. I am sure he is alright, wherever he is."

Tenten's smile faded. She averted her eyes and forced a little laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure he is. This is Neji."

"That is right. Hey, you want to come over for a while? I made cake a couple days ago and it is still pretty fresh."

Tenten sighed and cracked her back. "I dunno. I'm kinda tired-"

"Come on, Tenten! You can rest at my house! I will even rub your back if it is bothering you."

Tenten wanted to argue, but took one look into her teammate's eager eyes and sighed with a smile. "Oh, alright, but that had better be some damn good cake, alright?"

Lee grabbed her shoulders and quickly wheeled her towards his house. "Trust me. It is to die for!"

The two arrived at Lee's house at a jog, one that left an already tired Tenten panting. However, Lee grabbed the door and even took her shoes off for her, settling her down comfortably on the couch before going to prepare refreshments for her.

Sore from her mission, Tenten relieved herself of her heavy shirt and threw it absently over the couch. The light white undershirt was much cooler and much less of a burden, allowing her to lean back comfortably into the couch, kick her feet up on the coffee table and relax. She had closed her eyes and almost drifted off when Lee came back into the room, bearing a plate filled with sliced cake and a glass of iced water.

Lee set them down in front of her and handed her a piece of cake on a napkin. "Here. I am going to make you some hot tea to go with it, just give me like five minutes. You want anything else?"

Tenten shook her head and spoke around a bite of cake. "You always treat me so good. For god's sake, I'm not the queen."

"You are my teammate, who is tired from a long mission. That makes you twice as important."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You are so sappy."

Lee ruffled her hair, pulling strands out of her tight buns. Tenten batted him away violently, complaining loudly, but Lee just laughed and went back into the kitchen.

Tenten shoved the slice of cake into her mouth, muttering around it as she redid her hair. After three failed attempts to get it right, she took it down completely and threw it up in a messy bun behind her head. She retrieved the cake from her mouth and looked around curiously as she worked on it. Lee's house was messier than usual. All his little knick-knacks were dusty. His weights were thrown around helter-skelter. Even his furniture seemed a little dingy. Tenten looked over to the spot reserved exclusively for her stoic teammate and frowned. Obviously, Neji had not been by in awhile or he would have cleaned it on impulse. The thought made her nervous and sick at the same time. She hoped he was alright.

Tenten swallowed the last bite of her cake and licked her fingers. Still, the sticky chocolate icing stuck to her fingertips and under her nails. She frowned and stuck her thumb in her mouth. She got up and headed towards Lee's bathroom to wash her hands and probably she if she could fix her unruly hair. She walked down the hallway, yet stopped halfway down. She switched fingers, glancing around curiously. Something was different, but she could not place it. Everything looked the same. The doors, the floor, the walls. It was a little quiet, but Lee was usually blaring music or at least talking, so that was accounted for. She switched fingers again and took a deep breath.

That was when she smelled it. Her eyebrows furrowed and she sniffed the air, frowning. What in the world was that? It was not overpowering or even strong, but… it was odd. She could not place it, but it made her nervous. She had the feeling like she had smelled it before and not liked it. She pulled her fingers out of her mouth and wiped them on her pants, moving her head around to try and locate the strange smell. She poked her head in the bathroom and found it was not there. She began to walk to Lee's room, but as she passed the doorway to his spare room, the scent grew stronger. She turned and sniffed it, leaning in close to to crack of the closed door. It was much stronger.

She frowned deeply and opened her mouth to call for Lee, but something in her gut told her to be quiet. Closing her mouth, she reached out and grabbed the doorknob, turning gently and pushing open the door.

The scent almost bowled her over. She recognized it immediately. The scent of formaldehyde hit her like a tidal wive and she gagged quietly. Covering her face, she felt around on the wall for a light switch. She ran into something hard, something on wheels. It clattered metalically and clashed gently into something else, ringing like steel on steel. She patted it, feeling cold rounded metal and towels and something else. Something slick, like poor quality rubber or-

"Tenten? Tenten, are you in here?"

Tenten looked up at the shadow in the doorway. She sighed and took a deep breath, stating, "Yeah. Lee, could you find a light switch and maybe tell me what in the hell that smell is? It's like something died in here."

"Oh. Well, about that, Tenten."

The shadow stepped into the room and disappeared, the door snapping shut behind him. Tenten blinked rapidly in the sudden darkness. She covered her nose again, calling out, "Lee? Lee, I can't see a thing. Where are you?"

"Here, Tenten."

Suddenly, the room was filled with a bright light. Blinded, Tenten sheilded her eyes and blinked rapidly. "Good god, Lee! What kind of lighting did you install in here?"

"I needed good lighting for my work."

Tenten uncovered her eyes and reeled in horror. The room was completely white, yet she could see brown and black crusting between the tiles. Surrounding her were stainless steel carts with a variety of instruments, some professional, some not. Hung from hooks on the wall, bundles of intestines dripped fluids into pans and lining the carts were steel bowls where various bloody masses sat in their own fluids. Horrified, Tenten looked beside her, to the knife-lined cart and saw the bloated mass of some yellow organ sitting in a shallow pan. Her eyes snapped to her hand and her stomach dropped, seeing the blood and thick fluid dripping down her arm.

She reeled backwards, her mouth moving and desperate, horrified gasps bubbling out. Her foot hit something heavy and she slipped, landing hard and flipping whatever it was in a cacaophony of metalic clatter. Suddenly, she was drenched in a thick, reeking liquid and she gagged as a metallic taste invaded her mouth and nose. She wiped her face desperately, but her hands were slick with it. She blinked, trying desperately to clear her eyes, only to see what she was covered with.

She squealed, her short desperate breaths coming out in pitiful squeaks as she scrambled backwards away from the pool of clotted blood. Her back hit something hard and something jabbed her in the spine. Her eyes snapped up and met the empty eye sockets of her best friend.

Tenten's shriek hit the walls and resounded like a thousand screeching nails.

The girl scrambled up, scrabbling on her hands and knees away from it. She slid and fell back, paralyzed with horror. Pinned to the rack by nails in his arms, Tenten could barely recognize the mutilated body of Neji Hyuuga. His skin had been removed from the waist down, leaving behind the faintly red muscles and the white lines of bones. What was left of him was smeared with blood and reeked of the formadehyde. His eyes were completely gone. His seal had been ripped from his forehead. His hair was limp and lifeless over his bloody face.

Yet, his lips were twisted, like a sick joke, into what could have been a smile.

"Tenten, are you alright? I am so sorry, I should have-"

Tenten screamed, jumping away from the voice behind her. She looked up in horror at Lee, who had a clean towel in his hand and was looking down at her with concern. She looked between him and Neji, shouting, "L-Lee! What in the hell? What is this? What ha- why would you do this?"

"Tenten, calm down. I can explain."

"Explain? Explain?" Tenten slapped him away as he tried to wipe her face. "Get away from me! Get away! You-! You killed Neji!"

Lee held his hands out pleadingly, advancing on her. "Tenten, I had to! You do not understand!"

"Get away, get away!" Tenten grabbed for her kunai holster and threw a knife at Lee. She missed, slipping on the floor. She scrambled to her hands and knees, trying to right herself. "Don't you dare touch me! You killed! You killed him! You-!"

Suddenly, fire exploded in Tenten's leg. She screamed, collapsing against the floor. Through the fog of agony, she strained her neck and saw a heavy kitchen knife shoved through her calf. Her eyes snapped up and she howled again. "No! Lee, no, please-!"

Lee slammed a second knife into her other leg, shattering the bone inside.

Tenten thought she had screamed, but her head hit the tile in a daze. Her head swam and her eyes rolled. The pain was excruciating. It was unreal. This was all unreal-

"Tenten? Tenten, can you hear me? Tenten!"

Tenten felt something cold hit her face. She shook her head violently, gasping. The agony came rushing back and she cried out, writhing. "God, god, god…"

"Tenten, I am sorry! I am so sorry!" Lee wiped her cheek with a towel. "I had to. You were panicking."

"Panicking?" Tenten's body convulsed and she sobbed. She turned her misty eyes up with a snap. "How could you! He was your friend! He was my friend! He was our friend! How could you!"

"Tenten, please understand me. If I did not kill him, someone else would! I needed to make sure he would die with a friend. I could not let him die alone!"

"So you killed him? How does that fucking make sense?"

"I got to say goodbye, Tenten. He knew someone cared about him, that someone would miss him. How many ninja can say that, huh?" Lee's eyes were shining and he smiled. "I want all my friends to die like that. All of them!"

"All of-"

"See, Tenten?" Lee got up and went to a corkboard, pointing at all the pictures. "I have all my friends here. Naruto, Shino, Hinata, Choji- everyone! Even Kiba, Shikamaru and Neji. See?"

Lee grabbed one of the pictures and showed it to her. "See? It is Neji. He is happy."

Tenten looked in horror at the picture, where Neji's face was barely visable through the cracking red X. She looked up at Lee. "You… you're going to kill everyone?"

"Yes. Everyone. I have to work fast, though. I have to make sure I get to everyone before someone else does. I have done three and luckily, one of them was Neji, but-"

"You're going to kill me! You're going to kill me!" Tenten pulled desperately at her legs, howling in agony. "I can't believe you! After everything-!"

"No! No, no, I am not going to kill you, Tenten!" Lee grabbed her face and forced her head still. "I would never kill you! I promised."

"Wh-what?"

"I promised," Lee let her go, walking over to a cart where the tattered remains of Neji's death clothes sat. He rummaged through them, coming up with a photo. He walked back over and showed Tenten her own picture. "See? Neji made me promise I would not kill you."

Tenten stared at herself, at her own smiling face. "H-he… he…"

"He asked me as a friend and I had to honor his last request, right?" Lee handed the picture to her, stating, "He seemed really put out about his last words to you. He liked you a lot, Tenten."

Tenten stared at the picture in her hand. Tears began to form in her eyes. She collapsed against the tile floor. His last request… his last words… had been a plead for her life…

"I like you a lot, too, Tenten. You are one of my best friends. My only best friend now." Lee stood up and brushed off his pants. "I am a little conflicted over what to do now, though. I cannot kill you, but you cannot leave, either."

Tenten's breath hitched in a sob. "Neji…"

"I know. I miss him, too. Do not worry, though! When I am done, we will still have him," Lee walked over and set his hands on Neji's shoulders. "You see, I am going to sew all the pieces back together and make my own Neji to keep forever! Since we are both his friends, I do not mind sharing-"

"You fucking monster…" Tenten wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "You heartless… you…"

"It will hurt for a long time, Tenten. I know I killed Kiba over three months ago and it still hurts. In fact, Gai-sensei died over six months ago and it still hurts." Lee turned his back on her, going to the carts and looking through them. "Do not worry, though. We can hurt together, just like when Gai-sensei died. I will just make a couple amputations and we can hang out forever."

Tenten looked at his back with pain-filled eyes and found her heart aching not with hatred, but with pity. Despite herself, her heart went out to her lifelong teammate. He had taken Gai-sensei's death so hard… she just never even imagined…

"Would you like that, Tenten?" he asked, examining a heavy knife in his hand. "You can even help me with the others. I have a lot of work ahead of me."

Tenten struggled up onto her forearms, jarring her legs. She bit back a cry of pain, clenching her teeth and her fists. She squinted in agony, watching Lee's back as he looked through his assortment of knives.

"Perhaps this is good fortune, Tenten. I was talking to Neji about how lonely my work gets. Obviously, the drugs had gotten to him. He did not understand that he could not help me if he were dead."

Tenten reached carefully for her kunai holster, sliding one out quietly. She would have a single shot.

"Would you like that, Tenten?"

Tenten swallowed painfully. Her throat hurt. "Y-yes, Lee. I… I would love to."

"Oh, Tenten. I am so happy," Lee turned around with a smile on his face and a heavy cleaver in his hand. "Now you understand how wonderful this all is-"

Tenten threw her knife with deadly precision.

Lee's body crumpled to the floor silently. The cleaver clattered out of his hands.

The tears welled up in Tenten's eyes as she watched the life leave his eyes. Numbly, she laid her head down on her arm and sobbed, one hand on her picture, the other on Neji's.


End file.
